Phillies Blog, Baseball News, Trade Rumors & Spirits

Friday, September 03, 2010

Breaking news: Gload activated; Dobbs returns

The next wave of Phillies roster additions has been announced.

As expected, third baseman Greg Dobbs returns to the bench following his second demotion to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he was beginning to heat up, hitting .289/.386/.579 with two homers in his last 10 games. Dobbs was taken off the 40-man roster when he was outrighted to Triple-A, so his contract was purchased and he has been added to the 40-man. Meanwhile, Ross Gload, who has been on the 15-day disabled list with a pulled groin, rejoins the club after a pair of rehab games with Single-A Clearwater. Gload benefited from regular playing time in the absence of Ryan Howard, pulling his season slash line up to .279/.333/.486. Dobbs and Gload join Mike Sweeney, Ben Francisco, Brian Schneider, Paul Hoover, Domonic Brown and Wilson Valdez on a pretty good-looking September bench.

What is the fascination with Dobbs? Isn't 2 years enough to see that he can't really hit or play defense? I'm baffled, really. If he was honestly their best option to call up, then they should have done something in the waiver period. If Dobbs is the answer, the Phils need to be asking a different question.

I'll go so far as to say that if we see Dobbs inserted into a game, it's because we're in a very bad situation (i.e. someone got hurt, we already burned 3 or 4 PH's, game is a blowout, etc.). Not a good thing if he's doing anything other than chucking with Paul Hoover in the dugout.

In fact, I think that we should task someone with stealing his glove and throwing it into a wood chipper, just in case Cholly is feeling a little frisky or inebriated in the next month.

Would it kill them to call up a long man from the Iron Pigs? A warm body in case of an extra innings marathon or a KK shelling in the 2nd? Is there a reason why they would not want every possible advantage in the stretch run, other than being cheap? Also, Vance Worley might make a fine left fielder.

Heather: Dobbs isn't the answer, because there was never any question posed. We called him up because we can. Are you really bothered that the Phillies didn't make an August trade so they could upgrade the 8th option off their bench once September roster expansions kick in? And where would we have put this upgrade while we waited for September to roll around?

I guess when there's nothing else to get angry about (after a 6-1 West Coast trip), and you have to complain about something, you complain about recalling Greg Dobbs, a move with no discernible downside as it doesn't cost any money (they were paying his guaranteed ML contract anyway) and doesn't cost a roster spot.

Of the guys on SeattlePhan's list, the only ones who could plausibly be added are Carpenter, Worley, Zagurski, Mathieson, and maybe Escalona (but I doubt it). Robertson is very likely to be added too, especially if Worley's AAA start goes forward as planned tonight. That would mean someone on the 40-man roster would have to be removed. Drew Naylor strikes me as the most likely candidate. He's essentially minor league roster filler with little upside.

This has been posted periodically, but effectively anyone in the *organization* on 8/31 is eligible for the postseason roster, whether or not they are on the 25-man or 40-man roster. This is because any player in the organization can be used to replace a player on the dl on 8/31 (e.g., Moyer). Dobbs can be on the postseason roster to replace Moyer or any other player that was on the dl as of 8/31.

The Phillies didn't bring up a single damn pitcher? And people wonder why I think the FO is full of drooling idiots. I suppose they're blessed w/ the power to be absolutely certain no extra-inning marathons will occur ... or that the Fightins will blow out any opponents, possibly allowing guys like Madson, Durbin & Lidge more than a day off per month. If Charlie is a dumbaholic, his bosses are enablers.

Dobbs was brought up to continue his 2010 role, of pinch-hitting in the 6th or 7th inning and not getting the ball out of the infield.

Dobbs wasn't "heating up" at Lehigh. He literally had 2 good games in a row, which got his season average above .200 He was AWFUL (and looked as bad with the bat as he did in Philly) the rest of the time.

But I am sure he'll continue to get AB's, because he's over 30, "experienced" and a Cholly/Ruben "guy". He went for 3 for 40 this year, and still continued to get chances. Others get one or two chances, and we never see them again if things don't go quite right.

We have now brought up 3 players for September callups. Gload is 34. Dobbs is 32. Hoover is 34.

I guess the "under 30 group" can only come over on the bus from Lehigh together at one time.

Some theories on what they are waiting for...

-Mayberry needs 1 SB for 20 SB's on the season. Would be a nice milestone for him to hit.

-Worley is pitching tonight. Let him get one more AAA appearance under his belt.

-Mathieson is still working with Sutter and the more they work together, the better.

If they think Robertson is more then a "DFA after the game on Monday guy", he'll be the final guy (besides activating Baez) added to the roster for September, and be another guy to spit sunflower seeds in the bullpen.

I understand Robertson has experience and all that, but why would you call up a lefty to start against the Marlins? Their three scariest hitters (Hanley, Uggla and Stanton) are all righties. Spot starts are just about the ONLY time you get the opportunity to play matchups with your starting pitcher. Sacrificing that just seems dumb.

Because its the way the Phils normally do business. They don't take many chances. They like guys with "experience".

Sure, Robertson has shown very little indication in recent years, to be an effective pitcher at ANY level. He's 20 games under .500 in the bigs, and has been released twice this year. And he'll be facing a Marlins lineup almost excluseivly right-handed. But he's still going to be the choice.

Its why they slotted him in the rotation at LV, the way they did.

He may only pitch 4 or 5 innings tops (even if he's decent), but that's the way they will go. They'll have Oswalt in the other game, and they'll bank on him going long to not tax the pen.

BTW, Volstad got a 6 game suspension and Sanchez got 3 games for his clothes-line off the top rope. Not sure when those suspensions may start.

I understand that anyone on the 40-man roster is eligible for the postseason (that is, they could replace a DLd player), but Dobbs wasn't on the 40 on 9/1. He was just now added, wasn't he? Thus making him ineligible for the PS in any event?